Skunkworks

Well after spending a healthy afternoon researching tunes and making phone calls, Im even more confused. I called my hometown mustang performance shop (AMP performance, Tempe AZ). Got in a lengthy discussion about SCT Vs Diablo Vs Sniper. Sniper is the big new one, according to Chris the service manager there, his best results both performance and reliability wise have come from Custom Dyno tunes using the Sniper Flash retune. He was that with "canned" tunes, he has experienced constant driveability issues and reliability problems. Now of course I realize he wants to sell me a BBK CAI for $299.99 and a custom dyno tune for $500. Steep to say the least considering what brenspeed and others offer. Now I do indeed trust these guys as they have alot of experience, but I think this community has alot to offer and I wanted some opinions. SCT Xcal2 using brenspeed/bamachips/ Evo tune seem to be very popular, I havent seen to many people complain about driveability etc. However a canned tune is just that, and a Custom dyno tune does have its benefits, however the price and the fact I wont have a hand held tuning device makes me skeptical. So my question is, has anybody had experience with Sniper flash tunes, and even if you dont, do you think the extra$100-150 is worth a "custom" dyno corrected tune? The other thing id be missing is the ability to swap tunes in the garage, and the two spare tunes that come with an Xcal.
Thanks for your time guys,
Cheers

bl1nk

Brenspeeds tunes are not canned. Brenspeeds tunes are custom dyno'd for your mods... Canned tunes are tunes that come with the actual tuner.. Brent actually tunes his car with your mods on it. That is a custom tune so to speak, just not on your exact car, so performance wont be optimal but definately not a canned tune.

superiormirage

+1. Same thing with the Evolution tunes. Fred from Evolution Performance put his car up on the dyno with the various Cold Air Intake kits he sells, tuned it, and then packaged them together. I've had the Evo tune for roughly 5,000 miles with no issues and I know there are several other members (Menace in particular) that have had theirs on MUCH longer.

I noticed a HUGE difference with the Evo tune, it really woke the car up.

As for the custom tune: I am about the farthest thing from an expert on these forums, but my opinion would be: wait on it. If this is going to be your first mod (Which it sounds like it is) the expense of a custom tune really doesn't justify the return. The tunes out there now are good, solid tunes and very few people seem to have had issues with them. Most people get into custom tunes when they start heavily modding their car, or go forced induction.

JUst my .2 cents.

DaBoss

$500 for a custom tune??? I hope that includes the price of the tuner. I paid $150 for my custom tune.

darkfact

i have more research to do on this subject but right now i'm putting cash together for cai+sct, 3.73s, and possibly udp's. i plan to order the cai+sct from brenspeed or evo and get their tune for the mods i'm buying, but get them installed at a race shop here with a custom tune on my car. i suppose i'd have to contact the shop here to find out specifics but i'm hoping the brenspeed/evo tune will just be there for fun and that the custom tune will be programmed in so i can flash back and forth when/if i need to.

everything i've read says 'custom tune to YOUR car > everything else', so i'm just hoping it's true.... 500 bucks seems kinda steep though, if they charge that much here i might have to rethink it.....

Skunkworks

$500 is indeed alot, and I think you guys made some good points. My first mods are just the cold air intake and a tune (of some sort), so Im thinking that the $500 custom tune might be better suited once I really get to work on this car.

Newbreedgt05

$500 is way too much for a custom tune. Doug at Bamachips only charges like $50 for one of his custom tunes. You should be able to buy the intake and tuner programmed with three custom tunes for a little more than the $500. Like Bl1nkage said the brenspeed/bama/evo tunes are not canned tunes. They will put three custom tunes of your choice onto the tuner when you purchase it from them. You only get canned tunes if you buy the tuner from someone else who isn't a custom tuner.

jay00f4

I think that $500 includes the dyno time and then it isn't so outrageous.

Black06GT40324

DUDE. . .

brenspeed C&L XCal2 package. . .

like he says. . . 12.80's on drag radials, only those mods. . . that speaks for itself. . .

i ran 13.2 on stock tires. . . just those mods. . . i recommend it 100% and like everyone is saying. . . its not canned. . .

he gets details on your car and tunes it precisely to your car. . . a unique tune, 3 of'em

GTlust

Yep! Emailed me asking for the processor code and mods. Maybe I can run 13 flat with my ford racing axlebacks